‘Really alarming’ coronavirus explosion in 39 Victorian care homes as outbreak threatens to claim more lives
- ‘Really alarming’ rise in new COVID-19 cases in aged care has Australians at risk
- New COVID-19 cases detected at 39 nursing homes in Victoria in past two weeks
- Figure includes 45 residents, 79 aged care staff detected to have virus overnight
- Aged Care Federal Minister Richad Colbeck warns that deaths will continue
- ‘There will be more and I’m aware of a number who are palliating at the moment’
An explosion of coronavirus cases at 39 Melbourne care homes threatens to put hundreds of lives at risk.
On Thursday, 45 residents and 79 staff across seven aged care facilities tested positive to the virus overnight.
The figures are included in Victoria recording 317 new COVID-19 cases for the day – its worst daily figure.
New COVID-19 cases have been detected at 39 nursing homes in Victoria the past two weeks, including at Essendon’s Menarock Life (pictured), where a resident has died
The state’s death toll stands at 113 after two men in their 80s died overnight.
There are 109 people in hospital, including 29 fighting for their lives.
Of the new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, 28 are connected to known outbreaks and 289 are being investigated.
Victoria has 160 outbreaks ongoing, including in offices, aged care homes and schools.
There are 157 cases now linked to Al-Taqwa College and six cases linked to HWL Ebsworth lawyers in Melbourne.
In the past two weeks, 39 nursing homes in Victoria have been detected with coronavirus cases.
In an interview with 3AW, Aged Care Federal Minister Richad Colbeck warned COVID-19 deaths in aged care facilities would continue.
A Glendale Aged Care resident in Werribee has already succumbed to the virus, along with another at Menarock Life aged care in Essendon.
‘With 45 residents, who are old, frail, probably have other co-morbidities, there’s some very, very sad news coming,’ Mr Colbeck told Neil Mitchell.
‘It’s going to be really tragic for families.
‘Unfortunately there will be more and I’m aware of a number who are palliating at the moment’.
Mr Colbeck’s comments come as Premier Daniel Andrews told Melburnians to follow the lockdown rules if they want to avoid a hard lockdown.
‘It’s well too early for us to be moving to a whole new stage,’ he said.
‘If you want to make that less likely, if you want to get out of these sort of restrictions as fast as as possible, then we all have to play our part.’
Victoria Police issued $107,000 in fines in the past 24 hours, many to people who were at illegal parties. Gatherings of more than two are banned in Melbourne.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the numbers may get worse.
‘We not have hit our peak,’ he said.
‘Unfortunately there will be more and I’m aware of a number who are palliating at the moment’, Aged Care Federal Minister Richad Colbeck said in an interview with 3AW
A Glendale Aged Care (pictured) resident in Werribee has already succumbed to the virus, along with another at Menarock Life aged care in Essendon